Grenada

t A lone figure walking on one of Petite Martinique’s beautiful beaches at sunrise

Introduction

Area Map

Must Sees

Experience More

Practical Information

Experience Grenada

During the 1600s the European powers fought over Grenada with the indigenous population. To avoid surrendering to the French, in 1651 the last remaining Caribs hurled themselves off a cliff on the north coast at a spot called Caribs’ Leap. In 1783, under the Treaty of Versailles the island passed to British control, and remained so until 1974 when it became a sovereign state. It is proudly independent. As you drive around, you cannot fail to notice how many roadside kerbs and buildings are painted in the red, gold, and green colours of the national flag.

Grenada is lush and mountainous, with much of the land forested or agricultural. The so-called Spice Isle is famous for its production of nutmeg. Though the crop was devastated by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, it has made a comeback. That said, many farmers are now focusing on cacao; the island has five chocolate factories. Many of Grenada’s 110,000-strong population live in the southwest. Here you’ll find the pretty capital St. George’s, along with Grand Anse – Grenada’s tourist hub and location of its most popular beach – and a number of other fine strands and deeply indented, yacht-dotted bays. Grenada is in fact a tri-island state encompassing Carriacou and Petite Martinique. These much smaller and less visited sister isles lie to the northeast of Grenada itself, in the Grenadines chain.